TWENTY minutes on hold when you phone for an ambulance…doctors and nurses rushed off their feet…hour upon hour waiting in A&E…GPs being paid a fortune to cover the festive period – welcome to the health service in winter 2017-18.

Yes, the service is facing unprecedented demand due to circumstances that are unsual in the extreme.

An outbreak of flu – described as among the worst of the last 50 years – and harsh weather have pushed the NHS, and its staff, to the limit.

And yes, our doctors and nurses deserve huge credit as they try to ensure those who need treatment get treatment.